Editorial: Keeping City of Homes worthy of its reputation

Photo by Dave Roback / The RepublicanThis building at 244 to 256 Locust St., has beencondemned as unfit for human habitation by the city of Springfield.

The best and the worst of city life were on display in Springfield last week.

Even as basketball royalty descended on the city for the annual Enshrinement festivities at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a seamier side of urban life was unfolding with the condemnation of two Locust Street apartment buildings where drug dealers had moved in to fill the void left by an absentee landlord.

While residents were rightfully proud as Springfield basked in the glow of the national spotlight, they could not turn a blind eye to systemic problems brought on by the bursting of the housing bubble which will be here long after the national cameras and correspondents have gone home.

Conditions at the 244-252 and 258-266 Locust St. had been declining for years by the time city inspectors finally condemned the buildings for numerous code violations - ranging from a leaking roof to raw sewage in the basement.

Geraldine McCafferty, director of the municipal housing office said the “beginning of the end” came when the buildings’ owner, Riverview Apartments, went into foreclosure. It’s a scenario that has played out in many cities where out-of-town investors moved in to snap up properties that seemed like a bargain compared to other parts of the country. But when the housing bubble burst and property values dropped, “landlords walked,” McCafferty said. “Thugs took over the building and were offering units to rent.”

There have been 15 drug arrests at the units in the last 30 days.

On Thursday some of the four dozen tenants evicted from the buildings filled the Springfield Housing Court where city lawyer Lisa DeSousa termed conditions deplorable amidst an atmosphere that resembled the Wild West. “The bad guys have been allowed to take over . . . They’ve won the battle for possession of these properties,” she said.

Housing Court Judge Robert G. Fields ordered California-based Imperial Capital Bank to foot the bill for all the tenants to stay at a Dwight Street hotel for up to a week while they search for permanent housing.

Finding permanent affordable housing won’t be easy. But the City of Homes has made a commitment to end homelessness and push for the creation of new housing units and the rehabilitation of others.

Recently, for example, the formerly condemned Longhill Gardens, now called Forest Park Gardens has undergone a $21 million facelift by Boston-based WinnDevelopment with help from state and federal tax credits, subsidies and loans.

The outlook for the complex at the edge of the Forest Park neighborhood - just a couple of blocks away from the Locust Street properties - seemed almost hopeless before Winn stepped in to rescue it. During the renovation, the developer reduced the density of the project from 211 units to 112 units, providing room for attractive landscaping and other amenities. The complex is now fully occupied.

It is our fervent hope that the big brick apartment buildings on Locust Street will also be reclaimed to provide tenants with a sense of dignity and safety.

Springfield is rightfully proud of its place as the home of basketball, but just as important is its reputation as the City of Homes. As the partygoers depart from the weekend’s enshrinement ceremonies, it is helpful to remember that the real measure of a homeowner is how well they can clean up after all the guests go home.